Scenic pleasure-railway.



No. 755,158. v YPATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

A. c. MORGAN.

SCENIC PLEASURE RAILWAY. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18. 1903. no MODEL. 2sums-sum: 1.

WITNESSES. IJV VENTOR.

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'PATENTED MAR. 22, 1904.

A. GJMORGAN. scmm PLEASURE RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18; 1903.

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N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT I OFFICE.

ARTHUR C. MORGAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SCENIC PLEASURE-RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. '755,158, .dated March22, 1904."

Application filed April 18, 1903.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. MORGAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ScenicPleasure- Railways, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings.

' This invention relates to improvements in pleasure railways of thetype known as scenic railways, in which a portion of the track isinclosed and the inclosure or tunnel provided with scenic effects; andits object is to so construct and arrange the track that the uninclosedportion will be the most elevated portion, giving an unobstructed view,and the inclosed or tunnel portion will be beneath thesupporting-framework for the upper run forming the framework for thetunnel and the tunnel serving to strengthen said framework.

It is also an object of this invention to provide certain new and usefulfeatures in the construction of the track for safety, to provide certainfeatures to aid in producing scenic effects, and to provide theparticular arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, all ashereinafter more fully described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a deviceembodying the invention; Fig. 2, a diagrammatic plan view of the same;Fig. 3, a section on the line 00 w of Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, a section on theline y y of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail plan view of a portion ofthe lower course; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the steepgradient up which the cars are drawn by power, and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of one of the cars.

As shown in the drawings, a single continuous track is arranged in aspiral form with two undulating courses or an upper course A and a lowercourse B, one above the other and having side straight-away portionsconnected by end half-circle portions forming in plan view an oblongconfiguration, the lower end of the lower course being connected withthe highest point of the upper course by a steep gradient 0, extendingin the straight-away Serial No. 153,203. (No model.)

an unobstructed view in all directions may be had as the cars pass alongthe upper course A, and the supporting-framework for the upper coursealso serves to support the lower course.

The frames D, which are arranged transversely of the track, each consistof side posts D, inclined toward each other towardthe top and connectedby a sleeper D at the bottom and by thecrossties D D*, upon whichcrossties the track-rails E are laid between the uprights D extendingvertically upward from the sleeper, and uprights D, which are secured tothe cross-tie D intermediate their ends and to the bar D at their lowerends. Vertical bars D are secured at their ends to the cross-ties D andbar D at a greater distance apart than the uprights D and D and formstudding for the side walls of the tunnel F, the roof and floor of thetunnel being secured, respectively, to the bar D and crosstie D Theuprights D and D extend upward beyond the track at each side thereof andare connected at their upper ends to the posts D by the bars D, and totheir inner sides at their upper ends are secured continuous stripsforming the side guide-rails E for the cars. The frames, tracks, andguide-rails thus form a way to receive the cars and within which theyare guided against any possibility of becoming derailed, thesupporting-wheels G of the car Gr engaging the track-rails E and thefriction-wheels G engaging the guide-rails E. A walk E is laid upon thebars D at each side of the upper course A and also at each side of thegradient portion C of the track, so that the attendants may walk alongthe track and see that it is in proper condition, and the walk alsohelps to strengthen the structure and give it a more solid and safeappearance,

railings E being provided at the outer edges of the walks to prevent anyone from falling off.

The tunnel F begins where the upper course A or the curved portion G ofthat course passes beneath the gradient C and continues around to thepavilion H, which is located at that end of the structure where thelower course reaches the ground-level. The entrance to the tunnel isclosed by suitable doors F and is divided into different compartments orsections by similar doors located at intervals throughout its length,said doors serving to exclude the outside light and to produce sceniceffects by excluding the light of one compartment from that of another,so that there may be alternating dark and light compartments oralternating compartments having different-colored lights. These doorsare automatically opened and closed by the moving car by hanging thedoors on spring-hinges which tend to hold the doors closed and mountingin bearings beneath the track at some distance from the doors atransverse rock-shaft F which is provided with upwardly-extending arms Fat each end and an arm F, which extends upward between the rails of thetrack in a position to be engaged by the car to rock the shaft.Connecting-rods F are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to theupper ends of the arms F and the doors, respectively, so that when theshaft is rocked the rods will swing the doors open, in which positionthey are held by spring-actuated catchhooks F. When the car has passedthe doors, they are released by providing a similar rockshaft F havingarms, and also connectinging-rods F attached to the hooks to actuate thesame and release the doors when the shaft is rocked by the passing car,the rock-shaft F at the same time also serving to operate the next doorsif the construction is such as to make it desirable.

The cars are drawn up the incline C by a chain I, driven by a motor inany suitable manner, said chain being provided with lugs 1, adapted tobe engaged by a hinged plate I or other suitable means carried by eachcar, and to prevent the retrograde movement of a car should the chain orother part break a series of stops is provided, each consisting of a dogJ, pivotally secured to the frame at one end at each side of the trackbeneath the guide-rails E and formed with a shoulder J at the oppositeend to engage the back end of the car upon retrograde movement of thecar, said dog being held with its side projecting into the path of thecar by a suitable spring J a stop J being provided to limit the inwardmovement of the dog and the side of the dog forming an incline to beengaged by the car to force the dog out of its path.

Within the pavilion H a suitable platform K is provided on a level withthe top of the guide-rails, from which platform the passengers may stepinto the cars, and near said platform the track is provided with one ormore brakes L for stopping the cars, which brakes consist of abrake-shoe L, consisting of a board secured at one end to the frameslying along the track below the guiderails opposite the side of thepassing car, with its secured end extending in the direction from whichthe cars come, so that when its free end is pressed inward it will comein frictional contact with the side of the car. A vertical hand-lever Lis pivoted to the frame at one side of the track and extends downwardbelow the same. A lever L is pivoted intermediate its ends at theopposite side of the frame, to one end of which lever is connected apushbar L, longitudinally movable in bearings on the frame to engage andmove the free end of the brake-shoe, and a connecting-rod L connects thelower ends of the levers L and L to transmit motion from the hand-leverto the push-bar. Also located within the portion of the track within thepavilion is a movable track-section M, mounted upon suitable rollers insuch amanner that it may be moved laterally out of the line of track toremove or place a car on the track, said section being of such a lengththat a car may be run onto it.

The track may be made with two undulating courses one above the other,as shown, or it may have a greater number of courses and be a gradualincline, and the tunnel portion may inclose the whole or only a portionof one or more of the lower courses.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a scenicrailway, the combination with an upper and a lower course or track, agradient connecting the lower end of the lower course with the upper endof the upper course, and a portion curved around said gradientintermediate the upper and lower courses, of a framework for supportingboth courses, and a tunnel intermediate the upper and lower courses andthrough which one of the courses extends, said framework also formingthe framework for said tunnel.

2. Inapleasurc-railway, the combination of a continuous spiral trackforming upper and lower courses, one directly above the other, a tunnelintermediate the upper and lower courses, a gradient extended above andbelow said tunnel and connecting the lower end of the lower course withthe upper end of the upper course, a curved portion extending around atone side of the gradientintermediate the upper and lower courses andconnecting the lower end of the upper course with the upper end of alower course; and a common framework for supporting the courses.

3. In apleasure-railway, the combination of a continuous spiral trackforming upper and lower courses, one directly above the other, agradient connecting the lower end of the lower course with the upper endof the upper course, a portion curved inward around said gradientintermediate the upper and lower courses, and a series of frames forsupporting the courses consisting of inclined side posts, cross-tiesconnecting said posts and upon I which the dilferent courses of thetrack are supported, and uprights at each side of the track secured tothe cross-ties.

4. In a scenic railway, the combination of a continuous spiral trackforming an upper and a lower course connecting the lower end of thelower course with the upper end of the upper course and a portion curvedaround said gradient intermediate the upper and lower courses,

a series of frames for supporting the courses consisting of inclinedside posts, cross-ties connecting said posts upon which the tracks arelaid, vertical bars at each side of the lower course, and a tunnelinclosing the lower course and disposed below the upper course, theframes forming the framework for the tunnel.

5. In a scenic railway, the combination of a continuous spiral trackforming an upper and a lower course, a steep gradient intermediate theupper and-lower courses, a portion curved inward around the gradient, aseries of frames for supporting the courses each consisting of inclinedside posts, cross-ties connecting said side posts upon which thetrack-rails are supported, uprights at each side of the track andextending upward beyond the same, bars secured to the upper ends of theuprights and to the posts, and vertical bars at each side of the lowercourse, guide-rails secured to the inner sides ofthe uprights, a tunnelinclosing the lower course, the cross-ties and vertical bars of eachframe forming the frame for said tunnel,and a walk at each side of theupper course and walks upon each side of said gradient and curvedconnecting portion.

6. In a scenic railway, in combination, with a track comprising upperand lower courses in a continuous spiral form and a tunnel inclosingsaid track and interposed between the upper and lower courses, of doorsfor said tunnel, a rock-shaft having upwardly-extending arms and an armextending'upward in the path of the car, connecting-rods connecting theends of the arms and the doors, hooks to engage the doors .and hold thesame open, springs to close the same, a rock-shaft at the opposite sideof the doors and having upwardly-extending arms, connecting-rodsconnecting said arms and said hooks, and an arm on the lastnamedrock-shaft extending upward in the path of the car.

7 In a pleasure-railway, in combination with a track supported upon asuitable framework, guide-rails at each side of said track and at adistance above the same, a brake-shoe consisting of a flexible membersecured at one end to the framework to engage the side of the car at itsopposite end, a vertically-disposed pivoted lever, and means embodying avertically disposed lever, a longitudinally movable push-bar connectedtherewith, and

means connecting said levers below the track and operated by saidfirst-mentioned lever for forcing the free end of the shoe into the pathof the car.

8. In a pleasure-railway, in combination with a track supported upon asuitable framework, uprights extending upward at each side of saidtrack, guide-rails secured to said uprights, a flexible member securedat one end to said uprights below the guide-rail, a pushbarlongitudinally movable in bearings on the frame and engaging the freeend of said member, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the frameand its upper end to the p ush-bar, a lever pivoted to the frame at theopposite side of the track, and a connecting-rod connecting said leversand disposed beneath the track.

9. In a pleasure-railway, the combination with a spirally-arranged trackhaving a steep gradient connecting the lower end of the lower coursewith the upper end of the upper course,

and a portion curved around said gradient intermediate the upper andlower courses,-and means for drawing cars up said gradient, of aframework for supporting said track, uprights on said framework at eachside of the track, guide-rails secured to the inner sides of saiduprights, a series of dogs pivotally secured to the frame along thegradient portion of the track and projecting into the path of the car atone side, a shoulder on each dog, stops to limit the inward movement ofsaid dogs, and springs to hold the dogs in engagement with the stops. I

In testimony whereof I'aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR O. MORGAN.

Witnesses:

O'r'ro F. BARTHEL, LEWIS E. FLANDERS.

